Fear of overwatering...best practices?

[esungirl]

I stick to the once a week regime, unless it's summer, then most get an extra douse of H20 mid week. I have plants in a regular house climate, 64 low-86 high, what can I say I like it warm, my husband on the other hand...well back to water. I have 1 plant in S. moss which I bought it in and thought surley I would over water it, but like they said above when in doubt...wait so some times it would miss a whole week of water in the winter ,and let's just say that whatever the regular bark mix plants get, the moss gets one half of that. It works for me. I also use weight to get a guestimate of the moisture content in all the plants, you get a feel of it after a while, plus visual with the clear potts. And when I water, I let the faucet just run through the pots, careful not to get water on certain plants and especially on new growths. That's my water regime for my "house plants"

[Twilight Orchid]

Thanks esungirl! I compared all the pots with the moss, and the ones that feel moist on top, versus the ones that are definately dry on top...they did feel quite a bit lighter....since I watered only the two of them...they feel heavier now, just a smidgen heavier than the rest, which I didn't water, as they feel still too moist......

I love using my moisture metre for my regular houseplants - I wish there was something that simple for my orchids!!

[Ray]

I hate to rain on gmdiaz's parade, but it is a NOT a good idea to dunk several plants in the same bucket of fertilizer solution. Water is about the best way to share plant pathogens, and entire collections have been lost that way.

[Twilight Orchid]

Oh dear, that would be horrible!!

I just checked on my new chids and the ones in the moss that I didnt water yesterday are starting to feel a little drier on the top (which would make sense, since they are now in the windowsill for a full day), but they still feel reasonably heavy (I think)...so I stuck my finger down the side of a couple and they still feel really moist down deep....so that is my indicator NOT to water right? How deep should it be dry before I give the mossy ones a drink?

(Again, sorry to keep asking, but I want to ensure that Im doing this right!)

THanks everyone!!

[Ray]

Oh yeah... 1 teaspoon per gallon is 1.3 ml/L

[gmdiaz]

Originally Posted by Ray

I hate to rain on gmdiaz's parade, but it is a NOT a good idea to dunk several plants in the same bucket of fertilizer solution. Water is about the best way to share plant pathogens, and entire collections have been lost that way.

Rain away!

OK, changing my ways. . .gonna water from the milk jug!

Just because I am not having any problems now, sure doesn't mean that a problem couldn't come up and wipe out my little collection.

[shakkai]

I only have one orchid successfully in a pot with sphag. moss. It is an Encylia cochleata (I know that's not the name any more, but I can never remember what its changed to now) - of all things! It is in a clay pot, the moss is very open and airy, and it seems to love it. It can go weeks without a proper watering, and then only when it is warm and bright outside. In the mean time, when the top sphag dries out, I lightly mist it as I know the sphag underneath is still moist. It never gets soggy, thanks to being in a porous clay pot, I think.

Maybe you could try lightly misting the top of your two? What kind of orchids are they? If they don't like it wet, then you should probably wait before making them really wet again.

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[Twilight Orchid]

Oh yeah... 1 teaspoon per gallon is 1.3 ml/L

Ummm...what is that in reference to? Is that for the fertilizing?

Shakkai: They are all cattleyas in moss....small, medium and large seedlings in 2.5" pots.....I'm pleased to say that the moss wasn't jammed in the pots like in others Ive had before, so I could easily stick my finger in and root around.....and feel that it was quite moist in there.....

Misting!! Didn't think of that....I am a bad mister.....I don't know why I don't do it more often, as my other plants seem to like it.......ok, got my mister bottle ready...set....MISSSTTTTT!!

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[orchids3]

You can dunk if you want to but I believe you may spread diseases in this way - especially the one which has no cure - Viruses.
Poking a long slim skewer into a pot will tell you it needs water if it comes up dry but picking up the pot to check weight is the best way I think and again you dont spread anything. A stick poted into several pots will spread whatever diseases that you have - again especially VIRUSES.

[Twilight Orchid]

Oh I see...I don't know a thing about viruses....pests I am more familiar with, so I try to be careful regarding that....hmmm....are viruses that common then?

Oh and if the skewer comes up either damp or wet that means not to water then?